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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D. A. GAITHER. PEA THRESHER AND SEPARATOR.

,571. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

Wihjesscs (Nu Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. A. GAITHER. PEA THRESHER AND SEPARATOR.

,671. Patented Aug, 25, 1896.

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DAVID A. GAITHER, OF W ILLISTON, TENNESSEE.

PEA THRESHER AND SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,571, dated August25, 1896.

Application filed July 30, 1895.

To aZ/I whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, DAvII) A. GAITHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Williston, in the county of Fayette and State 01":Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Pea Thresher and Separator, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for hulling, separating, andpurifying peas and beans, and has for its object to provide a mechanismfor performing the required work in a thorough and efiective manner andwith the expenditure of a minimum amount of energy.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of theinvention is understood, and to this end reference is to be had to thefollowing description and the drawings hereto attached, in which Figure1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section thereof, thedotted lines showing the movable or intermediate hopper partially drawnout. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine with the upper hopperremoved. Fig. 4 is a detail section of the upper portion of the machineabout on the line X X of Fig. 3.

The framework, which will be a substantial structure, may be of anyapproved construction for conveniently supporting the operating parts,and is shown as comprising cornerposts 1, upper and lower side beams 2,and The hullin g or threshing cylinders 4: are of similar con structionand are arranged in parallel relation and are journaled in bearings onthe upper side beams 2. The teeth 5 are arranged spirally upon eachcylinder, the spiral arrangement of the two cylinders being in inverseorder, whereby in the operation of the machine the peas or beans to bethreshed are moved in one direction by one of the threshing-cylindersand in an opposite direction by the other threshing-cylinder.

The two threshing-cylinders are spaced a proper distance apart, and asemicircular riddle 6 is placed beneath each. These semicircular riddles6 have their edge portions outwardly flanged and overlapping the uppercross-beams 3 and an intermediate cross-beam 7, and by means of whichthe said riddles are Serial No. 557,603. (No model.)

held in proper position. These semicircular riddles are formed of sheetmetal, and the series of openings formed therein are of a size to admitof the passage of the peas or beans, and the semicircular form thereofadmits of the teeth of the threshing-cylinders sweeping close to theupper sides of the said riddles when the machine is in operation.

Rows of teeth 8 extend inwardly from the opposite edges of the riddlesand are supported by the upper and intermediate crossbeams. In order togive strength to the rows of teeth 8, the latter pass through openingsnear the edges of the riddles and are let into the wooden cross-beams ofthe framework, and in order to facilitate the threshing process theteeth 8 incline slightly to the horizontal. The teeth of thethreshing-cylinders and the rows of teeth 8 are so disposed that theteeth of the said cylinders will operate about midway between the teeth8, thereby breaking the pods or hulls and liberating the peas and thebeans.

The upper hopper 9 is removably fitted upon the framework and has ahorizontal partition 10 a short distance above its bottom edge, andwhich forms a bottom thereof, and a discharge-opening 11 is located inthe horizontal partition or bottom 10, so as to come directly over oneend of a threshing-cylinder. A series of strips 12 and 13 are secured tothe under side of the partition or bottom 10, the middle strip 12 comingdirectly over the intermediate cross-beam 7 and having a space 14 at theend opposite the opening 11 to admit of the peas and beans passing fromone cylinder to the other in the working of the machine. The side strips13 come directly above the upper cross-beams and serve to retain thepeas in engagement with the teeth of the threshing-cylinders.

Immediately below the threshing-cylinders 4 are located a fan 15 and asupplemental threshing-cylinder 16, the fan and the threshin g-cylinderbeing arranged in the same plane and located side by side. Side pieces17 close the ends of the fan-case and form an inclosure-for thethreshing-cylinder 16. A vertical wall 18 extends between the fan andthe threshing-cylinder l6, and its lower portion curves forwardlyandupwardly and is provided with a series of openings, and consti- V V l 1i l i f 3 a; inner: end terminates iinrmediatelybelowithe l r j i hagecylincler :16 ancli approaches :eiose I tutes asemicireu'lar riddle19 for: the ethre'shi-z V hug-cylinder; 16 1A cross-bar'20, made fastoperate- :in; the; spaces between the teeth; '22,

i V threshing cyiinder 16.

I r :5 supported betweenth'e; side pieces '17, and its the ' i tothezdischarge opening2&0

: the riddle onto the; board thr d smali particles of: pods rthe latterV iniall-iinpuritie orhnllsf 7' I r i :The intermediate-hoppenLliesbetween I 0 c ess to the l pper riddles-g6 ;a l

2 "fill? sloping and serves to; direct thepe'as or beans 7 v escapinfrom; the riddles into i thesnpplei 1 1 mental threshingamecha nism,2t311 this: hop- 1 7 per issupportednpon' the; side pieces :1? and; bycleats 26, extending parallel with the side beams and attached to thecorner-posts.

WVhen it is required to gain access to the upper riddles or the lowerthreshing-cylinder, the hopper 25 is drawn out and said parts areexposed and the obstructing matter can be quickly removed. This slidablefeature of the hopper 25 upon its supports 26 and 17 also admits of thelower or supplemental threshing-cylinder being thrown out of operationwhen desired, as will be readily understood on reference to the dottedlines in Fig. 2. A door 27 is hinged to the lower end of the hopper 25and closes against the crossbar 20, thereby completely inclosing thethreshing-cylinder 16. This door 27 forms, in effect, a movable side tothe housing, which closes the upper portion of the riddle 19 andthreshing-cylinder 16 and admits of access being readily had to theriddle and threshin g-cylinder for removing obstructing matter, forcleaning the riddle and threshing-cylinder, and for making repairs whenrequired. The thresher may be operated by manual or other power, and forthis purpose a journal of one of the threshing-cylinderseiis suppliedwith a crank 28, and the opposite jour nal carries a fly-wheel 29 and asprocket gearwheel 30, which transmits motion 'to a support for one edgeof the-riddle I9, andis provided with; rowrof teeth 21 avhich no operatewith the teeth '22iof tl 1e threshing eylinder 16,; so as to breakup anypods or hulls which, may Zhavoeseaped ite tho snpplei 1 mental threshingmechanism. The; teeth 21 r Thnsthe peas and r-beans are: sn ected to aast of; airfromthe fanlawhe falling from i V A suitable 1 V j receptaclewill bepiaeed below the'inner ends 7 :o the boardl23 to reeeive the andbeans bed and freed E v r r OUghiy- *threshed,*and 3 the: peas escapingi i i i 1 through the openings of the-riddles 6 will be del r f fieetedby the interinediat hopper into the I i v I 3 z V the primary and the.snpplemen a l threshing y provisions and iSlQiiiiOVtblE :to admit of 2K?1 the l lower shingscylinde r; l6 to faeilitate removal 2 4 of anymatterwhich shayeieliolred these i 1 parts and interferedwith the freeioperation: 1 of the machine; Thishopper 25 has: its'side's l spendingspronket gear-{wheels 32 on z theijoirrnalsofthe otheran'd thelowerzthresh ingscylinderi "16'? 1 A drive sbeit i passes when themachine isil rservieeibriefly stated as follows i The lpe'as or beansthe; edischarge open 7 cnd'iof a threshingec'ylinder a, 5 when, by rea=ihe'ilength of thesaid threshingeylinder an when they reach the:opposite end tremor saiclipeaser beans witlipassthrough'thesp or opening14' be received at one end 0 an opposite direction to the movementintparted thereto by the first threshingcylinde By this time? they peas."or :bejans will :be' the a ioip'eni ngi 3%,provideid the end of thesaid rid the ope'ning ll; l i i lin's it w illbe seenthat the f pods orhalls are eompelledtoztravel the com bined length of the two riddlesbefore escaping. The pods or hulls of the first or initial riddle aretransferred to the second threshing-cylinder by means of the teeth ofthe first or initial threshing-cylinder, and in order to make provisionfor the escape of the said hulls or pods from the first riddle a numberof the teeth 8 at the inner end of the inner row are omitted oppositethe space or opening 14, as most clearly indicated in Fig. 3. The peasor beans after escaping from the riddles 6 are subjected to a secondthreshing by means of the cylinder 16, and after leaving the riddle 19they are subjected to a blast of air which carries off all smallparticles, thereby permitting the peas or beans to be received into areceptacle thoroughly cleaned and freed from all foreign matter.

A machine of the character herein set forth can with slightmodifications be adapted for factory or domestic use, and inconstructing the same for the particular requirement it is to beunderstood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from :10 the principleor sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- IIO'sproeketrhainE 31; which pz'tsses' st er corre P J I i I around the sstems-1129: and band-pulley I i I 1 f I 1 I on fan-shaft '36,:soas todrive the fan i f j :The operation of the invention may be 5i to bethreshed or hnllediare plaeed in'b ulkin i491" .ithehopper'and arecaused-to passfthrough 11' thereof onto one 1 :son: of therspi ral'disposition ot-the 3 teeth 61'130123't-li said peas or beanswillbelmoved i Z I g :ihe sceond :threshing eylinder, and wiilbe i i i Vmovezdby the iatter -the firll length thereof'in' 1 ipeas; hyatheblastofairfrom the fan Y The l i i f pods; cr huils f aeeumuiaiting onthie iriddle of i i i l r roo I i iQSCiiJQ from thesaid riddle by meansof the Ti :d-le and'on the same sideof thefraineworkwith Y r i I i P ffog/If" 1. In a machine for threshing and separatmg peas and beans, thecombination of an upper threshing mechanism comprising toothed cylindersand riddles, a lower supplemental threshing mechanism, a hopper betweenthe upper and lower threshing mechanisms, and supports for the saidhopper to slide upon to admit of access to the threshing mechanisms andfor throwing the supplemental threshing mechanism out of operation,substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of an upperthreshing mechanism, a lower threshing-cylinder, an intermediate movablehopper, a fan adjacent to and in the rear of the lowerthreshing-cylinder, a vertical wall extending between the fan and thelower threshing-cylinder and having its lower portion curving beneaththe threshing-cylinder and perforated so as to provide an approximatelysemicircular riddle, and a door hinged to the lower edge of the hopperand closing against the adjacent edge of the semicircular riddle,substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

3. The herein shown and described thresher and separator, comprising twocylinders arranged in parallel relation and having spi rally-extendingteeth running in reverse directions, se micircular riddles beneath thesaid cylinders, rows of teeth along the edges of the riddles, some ofthe teeth at the end of the inner row of one of the cylinders beingremoved, a hopper having an opening in its bottom over the end of one ofthe cylinders and having strips extending in parallel dispositionbeneath its bottom, the middle strip having a space or opening at oneend, a lower threshingcylinder, a fan alongside of the lowerthreshing-cylinder,an intermediate hopper removably inserted between theupper and lower threshing devices, a riddle to cooperate with the lowerthreshingcylinder, a returnboard, a door hinged to the intermediatehopper, and actuating mechanism, substantially as set forth for thepurpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID A. GAITHER.

YVitnesses:

J. H. WILSON, R. S. CRAWFORD.

